Sutera plant named ‘Danova900’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Sutera  plant named ‘Danova900’, characterized by its outwardly spreading and low mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and continuous flowering habit; large lavender-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Sutera hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Danova900’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sutera plant, botanically known as Sutera hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Danova900’.

The new Sutera is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new uniform Sutera cultivars with large and numerous flowers.

The new Sutera originated from an open-pollination in August, 2001 of a proprietary selection of Sutera hybrida identified as code number BA-1-12, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified selection of Sutera hybrida, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Danova900 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from the aforementioned open-pollination in a controlled environment in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel in February, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel since March, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Sutera are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Danova900 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Danova900’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Danova900’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Sutera:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading and low mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and continuous flowering habit.     -   5. Large lavender-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Sutera flower earlier and have larger flowers.

Plants of the new Sutera can be compared to plants of the Sutera hispida cultivar Dancoplace, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,458. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Sutera differed from plants of the cultivar Dancoplace in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sutera flowered earlier than plants of the         cultivar Dancoplace.     -   2. Plants of the new Sutera had larger flowers than plants of         the cultivar Dancoplace.     -   3. Plants of the new Sutera and the cultivar Dancoplace differed         in flower color as plants of the cultivar Dancoplace had         white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Sutera.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Danova900’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Danova900’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoor nursery during the winter with day temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 18° C. Plants were grown in 15-cm containers and were about three months old. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Sutera hybrida cultivar Danova900. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Sutera             hybrida identified as code number BA-1-12, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—An unidentified selection of Sutera             hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at 24° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 15 days             at 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 18 days             at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Outwardly spreading and low mounding plant habit.             Freely and continuously branching with about seven primary             lateral branches each with about four to six secondary             lateral branches. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 40 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About             1.5 mm. Internode length: About 2.6 cm. Texture: Pubescent;             minute. Strength: Strong. Color: 144B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:             About 2.1 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:             Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Shallow serrations.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.             Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing             foliage, upper surface: 146A. Developing foliage, lower             surface: 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A;             venation, 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B;             venation, 147B. Petiole length: About 6 mm. Petiole             diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Petiole color, upper surface:             147A. Petiole color, lower surface: 147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Solitary axillary flowers;             salverform; slender corolla tubes flare abruptly into five             rounded lobes. Flowers persistent. Very freely flowering;             typically about 46 flower buds and open flowers per lateral             branch. Flowers face mostly upward or outward. Flowers             persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower from             spring until fall; flowering continuous during this period.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to six days.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Obovate. Color: 91D.         -   Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: Five fused petals; slender             corolla tube flaring abruptly into five rounded lobes. Petal             lobe length from throat: About 6 mm. Petal lobe width: About             6 mm. Petal lobe shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal lobe apex:             Rounded. Petal lobe margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: 91C. When opening, lower surface: Lighter than 91D.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 91D. Flower throat             (inside): 23A. Flower tube (outside): 15C.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base; star-shaped calyx. Length: About 4.5 mm.             Width: Less than 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent, minute. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: Less than 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; minute. Color: 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:             15B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 15B. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style             length: About 8 mm. Style color: 145B. Stigma shape: Round.             Stigma color: 146A. Ovary color: 145B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Sutera have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Sutera. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Sutera have been observed to     have good garden performance. Plants of the new Sutera tolerate     temperatures from about 2° C. to 38° C. and to tolerate wind and     rain. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Sutera plant named ‘Danova900’, as illustrated and described. 